Profile instrument.



No. 670,594. Patents!! Ihr. 26, IQ'OI. l

' W. M. MGCARTNEY.

I PROFILE INSTRUMENT.

Applicmlion led Nov. 10, 1900.!

(,No Model.) 2 SheetsQSheet l.

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' No. 670,594. Patented Mar. 26, |903.

W. M. MGCARTNEY.

Pno'HLE insTmmnENT.

(Application mea Nov. 1o; 19km.

2 Sheets'-Shet 2.

(No Model.)

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supporting-wheels a4 a5.

\ UNITED,l STATES PATENT Fricn.

WILLIAM M. MCCARTNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

- PROFILE INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION' formngpart of Letters Patent No. 670,594, dated March, 1901.

l Application llecl November l0, 1900. Serial No. 36,060. \No model.)

T0 all whom. it mja/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. MCCART- NEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Profile Instruments, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a certain new and improved profile instrument intended to autoin atically and graphically record the profile of the surface over which the instru ment passes. The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which may be run over any snrface, as a road or other line, of which a profile is desired, and which shall in the course of its movement along said surface automatically record upon a suitable su rfaceprovided therefor the profile of the surface in proper relation to a suitable base-line, accurately locating each point in the prole above the corresponding point in the'base-line.

'lo such end the invention consists in certain novel devices and combinations thereof, which will be fully described in this specification and the essential features of which will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of a complete lnachinemin line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of said machine; Fig. 3, a plan of thesame, and Fig. 4 an enlarged longitudinal vertical section in the same plane as Fig. 1 and broken away at certain points.

Referring 'to the drawings, A is a framework, preferably of open construction and providing journals a a for axles a2 d3, preferably in the saine line and bearing opposite In the end of the frame is pivoted a fork a, in which is journaled a wheel a7, completing the supportingwheels of the frame. In the frame is journaled a horizontal shaft B, Fig. 3, by means of the bearings as a9, said shaft hearing a bevel-gear b, in mesh with a bevel-pinion c, fast -to a spur-gear c',vsuitahly journaled in the frame and in mesh with a spur-gear c2 on the axle a?. On the end of the shaft B, be-

yond the bevel-gear, is a sphereB, upon the surface of which run two friction-rollers D E, Fig. 4. The friction-roller D is fast on a shaft d, journaled in bearings ff on a swinging frame F, pivoted upon the axle d3. (See also Fig. 2.) Said swinging frame also supports journals j'zfg, in which is a shaft e, carrying the friction-wheel E. A weight G, adjustable longitudinally of the apparatus by means of a screw g and hand-wheel g, furnishes means for balancing the swinging frame upon the axle and maintaining it in a vertical position.

The shafts B d e are in the same plane and the shafts d e are at right angles to each other. The friction-wheels D E are arranged just a quarter of the circumference of the sphere apart. When the supporting-wheels rest upon a horizontal surface, at which time the shaft B is horizontal, the friction-wheel D rests upon the pole of the sphere and the `wheel E upon the equator.A On the shaft eis ing frame, said rack extending alongside of.

the surface of the cylinder and bearing a recording-pencil 7o in con tact with said surface. By means of this gearing the friction-wheel E rotates the drum and the friction-wheel D moves the pencil longitudinally thereof.

Inasmuch as the instrument runs upon the surface of the profile, the movement of the pencil should he proportional to the sine of the angle of elevation and the movement of the drum should be proportional to the cosine thereof. rIhe sphere B' and the frictionwheels'E D give to these parts movement in exactly the proportion desired,and the 'passage of the friction-wheel D from one side to the other of the pole reverses the movement of said wheel, and consequently of the pencil, and in this way automatically records depressions as well as elevations. This particular friction-gearing is peculiarly adapted to the purposes of this invention, but is not itself claimed herein, inasmuch as it is made the subject of a separate application filed of even date herewith.

In the operation of the device the pencil is set at some point intermediate between the two ends of the cylinder, depending possibly IOO upon the prospective nature ot' the ground to be traversed, and the machine is then passed at moderate speed over the line ot' which the profile is to be made. If the surface happens to be horizontal, the friction-wheel D will rest upon the pole of the sphere, Where it will receive no motion from said sphere and t-he friction-wheel E will run upon the equator, where it will receive the maximum motion. In other words, as long as the surface'is level it is parallel with the base-line, and the cylinder is `rotated at a speed proportionate to the rotation of the supporting-wheel a4. If, however, the forward wheel a7 of the machine be raised by any elevation in the ground, the sphere will be tilted-as, for instance, as seen in Fig. 4C. The length of the circle traversed by the wheel E will be reduced and the Wheel D will pass from the pole so as to traverse a small circle about the latter. The motion of the wheel D causes the pencil to move upward on the cylinder, recording the elevation. The wheel E causes the cylinder to revolve more slowly in proportion to the supporting-wheels and in constant ratio to the base-line or cosine of the angle of elevation.

I recognize the possibility of considerable variation in form and arrangement,and therefore do not limit myinvention to the specific details herein set forth.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination with a main frame provided with supporting-wheels, of a swinging frame supported in said main frame and provided with means for maintaining it in a given position with reference to a vertical line, a movable recording-surface, variable gearing between said recording-surface and one ot' the supporting-wheels, a movable recording device adapted to make a record upon said surface, variable gearing between said recording device and one of the supporting-wheels, and suitable means whereby the oscillation of the swinging frame upon the main frame causes a predetermined variation in the gearing, both between the recording-surface and the supportin g-wheel, and between the recording device and the supporting-wheel; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main frame, supportingwheels therefor, and a swinging frame supported in said main frame and provided with means for maintaining it in a given position with reference to a vertical line, of a suitablysupported recording-surface, a recording device, a sphere located with its center in the axis of oscillation of the swinging frame and geared to one of the supporting-wheels of the main frame, a friction-wheel supported by the swinging frame, geared to move the recording-surface and arranged upon the equator of the sphere when the machine rests on a horizontal surface and a second frictionwheel also supported by the swinging frame, geared to the recording device and arranged upon the pole ofthe sphere when the machine rests upon a horizontal surface substantially as described.

3. The combination with a main frame havy ing suitable supporting-wheels, of a swinging frame hung therein, and provided With means for maintaining it in a vertical position without reference to the position of the main frame, a cylinder having a suitable recording-surface rotatably mounted in said swinging frame,a recording device supported and guided so as to move longitudinally upon the surface ot the cylinder, a sphere located with its cent-er in the axis of oscillation of the swinging frame and journaled in the main frame, suitable gearing between the sphere and one of the supporting-wheels to rotate the sphere in a given ratio to the surface traversed, a friction-wheel supported by the swinging frame, geared to the cylinder and arranged upon the equator of the sphere, when the machine'is in a horizontal position, and a second friction-Wheel geared to the recording device and arranged upon the pole of the sphere when the machine is in the saine position; substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a main frame, supportingwheels therefor,and a swinging frame pivoted therein and weighted to keep it in a given position with reference to a vertical line,of a suitably-mounted movable device adapted to receive a record,asuitably-mounted movable recordin g device adapted to make a record thereon, variable gearing between the record-'receiving device and one of the supportingwheels, varied by the oscillation of the swinging frame in the main frame and variable gearing between the recordmaking device and one of the supporting-wheels, also varied by the oscillation ofthe swinging trarne in the the main frame, whereby both the record-receiving device and the record-making device may be moved by the passage of the supporting-wheels over the ground and the ratio of movement of the record-receiving device to that of the supporting-wheels, and also the ratio movement of the record-making device to that of the supporting-Wheels may be governed by the angular position of the swinging frame in the main frame; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 6th day of November, A. D. 1900.

IVILLIAM M. MOCARTNEY.

IOO 

